Transition car coupling



June 3, 1930. w, 'cc w J R ET AL 1,761,449

I TRANSITION CAR COUPLING I Original Filed Sept. 9, 1925 Patented June 3, 1930 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM MccoNwAY, .13., AND wrLLmM name, or 'rrirrsi'stmeii, rnNNsY vAnrA.

ASSIGNORS TO TH MCCONWAY at Tennis? COMPANY, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL- VANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA TRANSITION CAR COUPLING Original application filed'September 9,

This application is a division of our co.-

pending application, Serial No. 55,319, filed September 9, 1925. The invention relates to car coupling mechanism for railway cars and has for its object to produce a simple, strong" and rel able device for connecting a car equipped with an automatic coupler of the vertical plane type to a car employing a draw hook or the like. Devices employed for this purpose are commonly known as transition-coupl ngs.

The principal feature of the invention consists in employing a coupler head and a knuckle'rotatably mounted thereon, the sa d head being provided with a reces'stoward its guard arm side and the knuckle having a tail tor-med with an opening, and in combining therewith means a'dapted to connect the coupler and drawhook, said means involving a member fashioned with a post adapted to enter the opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position and having a second post'adapted to be received by the said recess in the coupler head and also having a curved portion connecting the said posts, a link device being movably attached to the said curved portion and being adapted to detachably engage the drawhook.

A further feature of the invention consists in connecting the coupler to a link device adapted to cooperate with the drawhook through the instrumentality of a draft mem her having a plurality of posts of unequal length, the shorter post. being adapted to enter an opening inthe tail of a knuckle rotatably mounted on" the coupler head and I the other postb'eing received by a recess in the said head, whereby when the link device and draft member are not in use the latter may be disengagedt'rom the tail of the knuckle and rotated on its longer post as an axis so as to permit it and the link device carried thereby to assume a position permitting the automatic coupler to cooperate with a mating coupler of its own type.

Other features of the invention relating to advantageous forms and relations of parts will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

1925, Serial No. 55,319. Divided and this application filed June'21, 1928. Serial No. 287,213. l A V Figure 1 is a plan view of a coupler and the adjacentport-ionsof a device for connecting it to a drawhook, theparts being in pulling position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Figure 1. V

Figure 3 is a view partly in section and partly in front elevation, of the construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 1s a plan view of a drawhook showing the relation thereto of the link device through which it is detachably connected to the automatic car coupler.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55,Figure 3.

Inthe drawings 1 is a coupler whose stem or shank is attached to the car by means of suitable draft rigging appliances in any well known or desired manner.

Rotatab-ly mounted upon the head of the coupler by means of the usual knuckle pin 3 is a knuckle 4i having a tail 5 which coope'n ates with a suitable lock 6 by which outward or uncoupling rotation of the knuckle is normally restrained.

On its guard arm side the coupler head is formed with an aperture? which preferably extends vertically and is cylindrical throughout its length to correspond in shape with the longer post 8 of the draft member 9 forming part of the transition coupling. In addition to the post 8 the draft member 9 is formed with a 'shortervertically extending post 10,

the t-wo posts being integrally connected at the1r upper ends by an a-rcuate bar portion 11 upon which threaded an eye-bar or link member 12. Movably connected to the forward end of the eyebar 12 is a link 13, preferablyof triangular form adapted to cooperate with adrawhook 14 upon an adjacent car, the links 12 and 13 being adapted to swing downwardly during a butting operation. These parts, together with the draft member 11,- constitute means for connecting the automatic coupler 1 to the drawhook.

The knuckle tail 5 is provided with a verti- V callyeXtend-ing opening or recess 15 for receiving the lower end portion of the shorter post lO' of the draft member!) when the knuckle open. To limit outward rotation of the knuckle when the transition gear is in use the knuckle tail 5 may, if desired, be formed on its lower surface with a lug or shoulder 16 adapted to bear against the shoulder 17 formed by the. inside face of the lower front wall of the coupler head 2.

\Vhen the transition gear is not in use the draft member 9 can be raised vertically until its inner leg or post 10 is withdrawn from the opening 15 in the knuckle tail, after which it may be moved or swung to the guard arm side of the coupler so as to allow the automatic coupler 1 to be coupled to another coupler of its own type. To prevent the draft memher 9 from being accidentally disengaged from the coupler head the lower end of the longer post 8 is preferably provided with a transverse cotter 18; and to insure ample strength the guard arm of the coupler adj acent the opening 7 for the draft member is preferably reinforced as indicated at 19.

\Ve claim:

1. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head provided with a recess toward its guard arm side, a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head and having a tail provided with an opening, and a lock for the knuckle, incombination with means adapted to connect said coupler to a drawhook, said means involving a member formed with a post adapted to enter the opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position and having another post adapted to be received by said recess in the coupler head and having a curved portion connecting said posts, and a link device movably attached to said curved portion and adapted to cooperate with a drawhook.

2. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head having a recess therein, a. knuckle rotatably mounted on said head and having a tail provided. with an opening, and a lock for said knuckle, in con'ibination with means adapted to connect said coupler to a drawhook, said means involving a draft member having a plurality of posts of unequal length and a portion connecting said posts, the shorter of said posts being adapted to enter the opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position and the longer post being received by said recess in the coupler head whereby when not in use said draft member may be disengaged from the tail of the knuckle and rotated on the longer post as an axis, and a link device movably attached to said draft member and adapted to cooperate with a drawhook.

Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head provided with a recess toward its guard arm side, a knuckle-rotatably mounted on said head and having a tail provided with an opening, and a lock for the knuckle, in combination with means adapted to connect said coupler to a drawhook, said means involving a member formed with a post adapted to enter the opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position and having another post adapted to be received by said recess in the coupler head and having an intermediate portion connectingsaid posts at their upper ends, and means movably attached to said intermediate portion and adapted to cooperate with a drawhook.

1. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head having a recess therein,.a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head, and a lock for said knuckle, in combination with means adapted to connect said coupler to a drawhook, said means involving a draft member having a plurality of spaced posts and an intermediate portion connecting said posts, one of said posts being received by the said recess in the coupler head and the other of said posts being adapted to engage the tail of the said knuckle when the latter is in open position, and means movably attached to said draft member and adapted to cooperate with a drawhook.

5. Car coupling mechanism comprising a coupler involving a coupler head having on its guard arm side a vertically extending c f'ndricz-il recess, a knuckle rotatably mounted on said head and having a tail provided with an opening and a lock for said knuckle, in combination with means adapted to connect said coupler to a drawhook, said means involving a draft member having a plurality of posts of unequal length and a portion connecting said posts, the shorter of said posts being adapted to enter the opening in the tail of the knuckle when the latter is in open position and the longer post being cylindrical and extending into said recess in the coupler head, and means movably attached to said draft member and adapted to cooperate with a drawhook.

6. As an article of manufacture, a draft member for railway cars formed with a plurality of posts of unequal length projecting in the same direction from a curved portion rigidly connecting said posts.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures. 7

WILLIAM MOCONWAY, J R. \VILLIAM KELSO.

lit) 

